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"Donna"

Captain Briskwind turned, blinking furiously as her eyes failed to adapt to the pitch black area she was in. Everything seemed to be an empty, shapeless void - there was no floor beneath her hindpaws, nor light from any source and yet... she was able to breathe, and did not feel like she was falling. She gasped and panted in a confused panic, still failing about to find something, anything that she could hold onto or make sense of.

"Donna"

There was the voice again, louder this time, and seemingly from all around her. That sounded like... no, it can't be! "D-dad?" She called out, expecting nothing, and genuinely fearful of what may happen if he responded. It was long said people met their closest deceased ancestor on the way to the afterlife. As much as the white furred anthro husky wished to see her long dead father again, the thought of her being dead had her curled tail pinned between her legs.

"It's me Donna, but don't be afraid, you're not dead."

"Wh-what?" She sucked in a breath, filled with both shock and surprise. "If I'm... then this must be... a revelation?" She still could not see him, or anything really, and the skeptical part of her mind was beginning to wonder if this was some sort of elaborate prank... then without warning there was a light, and her father appeared before her, looking as he'd remembered him from her childhood. Still wearing that worn leather jacket and cargo jeans, even in death.

"Revelation, dream..." he chuckled slightly, "call it what you will, but this is not a prank or a joke. Donna, more than just our people need you. Take Ambassador Longtail where she needs to go next."

"Wh-what?" She asked, her eyes wide, "how do you know of her, and where does she need to go?"

Before he could respond, she suddenly felt herself falling sidelong into the abyss... and against the floor near her bed. A brown furred coyote face with annoyed yellow eyes gazed down at her. "Void dammit," Tallia grumbled, rolling those eyes which had greeted Donna's, "we saved your mother, and finally finished the promised work for the New Alliance, what's the problem this time?"

"Love you too, dear," she muttered, rubbing her eyes as she got up, seeing her alarm was about to go off and quickly disabling it, "but I think it may have been... more than just a dream." Or was it? Why and how would Dad know about Ellia? Dammit, this must be what it feels like to be on the edge of insanity.

"Why do I just know I'm not gonna like this?" Tallia asked as she began brewing their first pot of morning coffee, as usual for their normal daily routine.

"Because you're probably not," Donna sighed, her white furred paw-hand stroking down Tallia's shoulder as she began pouring their drinks, "I dreamed that I saw my dad, and he told me I need to take Ellia... somewhere."

"This again?" Tallia groaned, shaking her head, as she slurped down half the cup she'd just poured herself. "He's dead, he can't know or tell you anything. Get your head's shift fields checked before your ship gets wrecked."

"Honestly I'd rather have the ambassador off the ship, but... even if we assume this is just a dream that came from my own head, that means there's something I'm seeing or thinking I'm seeing here. The Lupin and most canids call it revelation, but perhaps you can call it intuition. Either way, it's really up to her. She seemed like she'd had enough of this ship after... well."

Tallia sighed and shook her head, slumping her shoulders. "I didn't help things did I? Calling her a spoiled baby after she broke down the other day."

"No, no you didn't," Donna groaned, "and I wasn't kidding about ordering you to apologize this morning. You know that her father is essentially dead or worse."

"She'd know if I was insincere," Tallia waved dismissively, "but... for once, I think she does deserve one. It's just... I'm at my breaking point D. How much fucking longer are we going to be skulking along to further some stupid political machinations?"

"I know dear, I know. Let's go, Dorrin should have breakfast ready soon."

Mess Hall

The pancake batter bubbled as Dorrin poured it onto the range. The temperature happened to match his mood this morning, especially after Tallia's remarks at yesterday's dinner. Damn Yotan bitch, gonna leave with Ellia as soon as the shuttle arrives, see how she likes that!

"Dorrin dear, they're going to burn if you keep brooding." Ellia reminded him as she began cutting fruit, she sounded occupied, but distant this morning.

"Right," he nodded, flipping the pancakes at just the right time, at least she sounds better now, but all those rebalances are tiring.

Tallia was the first to enter, and Ellia pointed turned so she didn't have to face her. "It's not ready yet, you'll just have to wait."

"Ellia, I'm..." Tallia approached, sounding a bit choked up, "I'm sorry, what I said last night was wrong and you didn't deserve it." Yeah, whatever bitch, Dorrin thought, I'm sure Donna is making you say that.

"You..." Ellia looked up and blinked, her ears perking up as she stepped around the counter and gave a shocked Tallia an unexpected hug, "you really mean that. I understand and I forgive you, I didn't think any of us are built for the horrors we've endured."

"Wh-what!" Dorrin nearly dropped the freshly cooked pancakes on the floor at that remark. He'd just prepared an epic takedown of the Yotan engineer to be delivered with her breakfast in front of the Captain, and now... this had totally taken the wind out of his sails.

"Dorrin, I can tell these things you know, you don't need to always be so protective." Ellia said whilst actually blushing slightly, as Dorrin sheepishly handed Tallia her breakfast, who for her part had a "what the hell was that?" look. "Also I'm sure the Captain will let you visit my home system with me at some point."

"Is that where you need to go?" Donna asked as she entered the room. "Because the Snowlit Dawn is still available for transportation if you want it, though you'd have to tell us where it is, and it may be a long trip."

"Actually," thought Ellia as she got Donna a plate of food and took a seat with her, "it's more a matter of getting a wormhole opened for me, which is both easier and harder than you'd think... plus Dr. Jorlen is going to need to move the equipment to Tigra soon. But why? I thought you wanted to go back exchanging cargo for numbers that supposedly have value."

"Something tells me I can't get out of this now," Donna sighed, finishing the cup of coffee she'd brought with her as she began eating breakfast, "you'd better let whomever was going to pick you up know they don't need to now."

A shuttle in the Xira's Garden System

"So, you've changed yer mind," grumbled Gerra Razormaw as she read Ellia's most recent message, and re-checked the course "have you, Puffball?"

"Ellia has changed her mind?" Hack poked his head into the cockpit from the rear compartment, still sliding putting his uniform back on and giving the hyena-like lady in the pilot's seat a slight blush. "Wonderful, what wrench has she decided to throw into the shift coils this time?"

"For once, one that's more an issue fer me than you;" the leader of the New Gnoll Matriarchy sighed, "she's made up with Fire-Yapper an' wants to go back ta Unity on the Snowlit Dawn." Gerra's annoyance changed to playful amusement as her long-time Yotan-raised Ragerian friend and confidant took the seat next to her. "You know, ya don't need to get dressed so soon, still half an hour til we arrive." That uniform doesn't show enough of 'im for my tastes...

"That really is a perfect name for Tallia," Hack chuckled, then blushed even deeper as he looked Gerra straight in her green eyes, something she'd never have permitted from almost anyone else she knew, "I'm sorry Matriarch, but I've already bent the rules as much as I dare right now. We'll have more time for... that... after the op. Remember our agreement on how you'll carry out your role." That last remark had been delivered without humor, and uncharacteristic firmness from Hack, oh, yer gonna get it so hard when I'm back, Gerra thought, giving him a look that made him gulp.

"I will..." she finally replied, still glaring, "but this feels so... cowardly, an' unlike what a Matriarch should be."

"Honestly, there are two reasons I'm letting you do this in the first place. One, you have a deep mutual relationship with Ellia and feel you owe her. And two, there's no way I could stop you from inserting yourself with that level of determination. All I'm saying is you're a legitimate head of state now, you can't be risking your life like some pirate raid leader anymore."

"Fuck you being right!" She snarled, clenching her fists... before turning in her seat and moving to hug Hack. "You forgot reason 3 - ya just couldn't live without me, huh?"

"Guilty as charged," Hack smiled, giving her a nuzzle, "also, please don't scare Lana too much, you're going to be taking her back to the New Dawn after all."

"The Leonin defective guy?"

"Leonin defector. Also Lana is a she, you of all people should respect that."

"Of course," Gerra chuckled, "that joke sucked and I'm not gonna repeat it to her."

"Well, we're almost there, better hail them about the change of plans... for them."

Snowlit Dawn, Bridge

"Didn't Ellia say she didn't need a shuttle?" Asked the projection of former Ragerian General Marla Jorlen, her dusty blonde fur puffing out of the cuffs of her white dress uniform, as she rubbed her projected vulpine and canine-like muzzle.

"That's what Donna said." Aria shrugged, pressing her earpiece into her cat ears, as she turned her Siamese cat-like face up to Marla's as her whiskers twitched.

"And yet, here is a New Alliance shuttle on an approach course." Replied large black furred Lupin male from his corner of the bridge, his wolf-like face betrayed little emotion as he delivered his assessment. "Very interesting, bio sensors are showing what appears to be two occupants: a Ragerian, and a Gnoll."

"They're hailing us," Aria mewed, looking at the other two, "but I'm sure Marla knows."

"Yes," she sighed, "but Sabre doesn't, so I'll tolerate the inefficiency for your sakes. Go ahead and put them on the display."

The face of a male Ragerian similar to Marla, but with thinner fur appeared on the screen. "General Jorlen? I've not met you before, but you've met me... kinda. I'm Hack, the actual live version anyway. I've read the EC reports and-" a soft -smack- was heard as a silver furred paw-hand batted against the back of Hack's shoulder, "Ow, hey!"

"Yer talkin' too much, get to the point!" Grumbled a voice the crew found familiar from off screen.

"I'm the one who's the passenger, remember?" Hack growled slightly to his side, then looked back at Marla. "Ellia isn't the only one who needs a ride to Unity, and I understand we have a new recruit to pick up. May we dock?"

"You should really be asking the Captain that," groaned Marla, "as I'm not in charge on this ship, she should be on the bridge in a moment."

In short order, Captain Briskwind entered the bridge and blinked at the display. "Why is that imprint is back?"

"Huh?" Hack asked in surprise, staring for a moment. "Oh, no, this is the real me. I'm here because I also need a ride to Unity, and a recruit to the New Alliance needs a ride to the New Dawn." Donna blinked in surprise, realizing that she was speaking to the leader of the New Alliance... and he's nothing like I'd expected. "Alright, I've already agreed to take someone to Unity, not that I know how that's even going to work. What's one more passenger?" Tallia is going to kill me. She thought, knowing that Hack was an old pupil of hers, and not one she had an amicable relationship with.

"Thanks," he smiled, "be there in a few!"

Airlock

"Lana, please stop the paaacing," asked Gerard as he adjusted his glasses once again, and Lana continued to walk from one end of the airlock hall to the other, "it's not going to make the shuttle arrive any sooner."

"It keeps me from wanting to pull my mane out," answered the slightly shorter lion-like person, who also had much shorter fur around her neck and face than her brother Gerard, "I'm meeting the guy in charge of the New Alliance, but I'm a Leonin." Does... does he really know and expect this? She thought to herself nervously. Am I making a mistake going to work for an enemy of my own people? No... they're not my people, not anymore, if they ever were.

"We've met a few of his imprints," replied Gerard, clearing his throat nervously, "but I also share your apprehension. Are... are you certain you don't want to stay with us a while longer?"

"No brother," she sighed, shaking her head, "the guest cabin is waaaaay too small. I didn't even bother to try the rickety bunk and just used a sleeping bag."

"That's for the better," he replied, smiling knowingly, "Tallia gets moody having to fix stuff like that. Hopefully our new passenger won't be as insufferable as she makes him out to be."

As if on cue, the airlock clamps attached with a soft thump, and the Leonin doctor got his hand scanner ready. "Right, got a job to do, you'd best step back, sis." He then pushed a button for an intercom in the airlock. "Hello, I'm Dr Darent, physician aboard the Snowlit dawn. Just conducting standard medical scans and decontamination, it'll only take a minute."

"Take your time, Gerard," Hack replied back, seemingly used to this sort of thing, "I'm not in a hurry."

"Oh good, lately I've been getting a lot of push-! Wait, I didn't give you my first name!"

"What do you think my imprints are doing with the data they collect," Hack's voice chuckled, "making a Swords of Spacetime module? I see all the reports. Also don't worry, you're not gonna get a 'oh my god, it's a Leonin' reaction I'm sure deal with often, though it may take me a parsec or two to get used to seeing one for medical issues... oh sorry, am I bothering you with this?"

"Uh, no. Your scans look good, letting you in." Gerard answered, raising an eyebrow as he pressed the button to cycle the inner door. A Ragerian with similar but shorter fur to Marla stepped in, wearing a tan body suit typical to the Yotan, with an olive green field jacket that bore both New Alliance and Yotan Mobilized Fleet patches on the shoulders. He quickly turned to Lana, who almost winced inadvertently.

"You must be Lana Darent," he said, stepping forward and holding out a hand covered by tan gloves as she saluted, "and - oh please, that's really not necessary here! Now, I'm not the best at my uh... Ragerian skillsets, but I can tell you're nervous. Let me assure you we have one goal: to get rid of the current Leonin government, not its people." She finally, hesitantly, shook his offered hand before he looked over at her nearby luggage and nodded. "That said, I'm extremely pleased to have you with us. Did you have any questions for me before you depart?"

W __h_ -what?_ she thought, giving him a blank look, this is... not at all what I'd expected from a military organization. I don't even know what to say!

"Uh, may I... may I ask you questions later, sir?" She finally managed to awkwardly ask.

"Sure, you can reach me from 'Furious Echo' if I'm not readily available. That said, my pilot is, erm... less patient than I am. You uh..." at this he looked slightly nervous for a moment, "I'm sure you're aware we have many Gnolls in our ranks. That... will not be an issue for you, will it?"

"No, it absolutely won't!" Lana shook her head emphatically, she'd heard all the propaganda and claims her empire had long made about the unfortunate Hyena species, and knew Gerard had risked his life to save several of them before, so they couldn't all be bad.

"Good," Hack relaxed visibly, but only slightly, "because the shuttle pilot is one. I can't say she's particularly... enthused at having a Leonin aboard, but she's given her word she won't do anything regrettable. If it helps, Gnolls are exceedingly honest in my experience. Now then, I expect to be working closely with you in the future, Lana, and I'll be seeing you once I return from Unity."